Baker & Foodie Content Creator
My name is Lee, welcome to my pages. I hope we can have fun together?
When I’m not developing recipes for others, writing guest blogs, writing my own blog, or even trying to learn how to paint, I’m usually spending time with the amazing Mr G (my husband) or with my lovely daughter or my lovely son (very proud mum).
What is this all about? Great question. This site is about real cooking and baking, real recipes and real mistakes.
No filters here, (although i’d love to find a filter that can take ten years worth of laugh lines away. Just me, whats happening, and whatever cameras or phone i have to hand .
There are many things that get under my bonnet and wiggle around, one of those is food waste. If i buy ingredients specifically for a recipe, and i only need a small amount of the ingredients, i want to be able to use the rest up and not have to throw them away. My mum used to say , “Waste not Want not” is that still a saying ?
For me, waste is not just about using up all the ingredients. What about leftover food? If i’m able , i hope to give ideas as to how to use up any leftovers too.
Be Brave
Cooking isn’t hard , neither is baking, its all about being brave and being ok with making mistakes
Lime Slice or Key Lime pie by another name - is something thats so easy to make and even easier to eat , so if you’re into a tart and creamy dessert, i bet you’re going to love this.
Using condensed milk and loads of fresh limes means its cost effective too!
Triple Chocolate Easter Layer Cake
The best and so easy to make show stopping cake that will impress anyone who sees it. Topped with as many mini easter eggs as you can fit on it. Make it in round tins or rectangular and layer them together with the delicious and amazingly easy chocolate ganache buttercream .
Wild Garlic Laminated Pasta with Garlic Brown Butter - the easiest pasta to make and the most flavoursome to eat. Its wold garlic season and this means the opportunity to use those beautiful wild garlic leaves in as many ways as possible. Add garlic brown butter to the laminated wild garlic pasta and the nutty taste tips the favour over the edge and elevates it to the next level.
The Best Potatoes – Ever! Dauphinoise Oven baked potatoes are in the top ten list of our household potatoes.
Making a big, dish and I mean big, means that we can have them fresh straight from the oven with a crispy skinned chicken thigh.
These potato stacks take a long time to make, so I can honestly say I don’t make them as often as I’d like to.
A long cook in a hot oven, an overnight stay in the fridge and then fried until crispy and golden, right before serving, so not a fast food.
However, if you fancy a go at these Twice Cooked, Layered, Buttered Fried Potato Stacks, the taste is well worth it.
No egg Biscoff & Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Mouse in Chocolate Cupcake Cases - A perfect valentines dessert to make for the one you love, by that i mean yourself, or for other people . No eggs in both of these mouse so thats a good things, although i cant guarantee that the calories are as free. Very sweet but worth every bite. Sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts for that much needed crunch.
Lamb with Za’atar, Hal el , Harissa and Olives - This is a slow cooked leg of lamb that’s not for the faint hearted. WARNING, don’t make this if you’re a flavour wuss. A few hours in the slow cooker and whats left is this juicy dish packed with some great flavour
Lemon and lime shaker pie. An easy recipe that will make anyone who likes a citrus dessert over a chocolate one, smile from ear to ear. Wafer thin slices of lemon and lime in a sticky sweet syrup surrounded by the best all butter pastry you’ve ever tasted. Hot or cold, this pie is a perfect end to a summer BBQ or a spicy meal, and so easy to make, its a crowd pleaser.
Paprenjaci - Croatian Pepper, Honey & Walnut Cookies
Baked mostly at Christmas in Croatia, Paprenjaci are mostly known as pepper cookies, for obvious reasons, i think the description should be a little more inclusive, hence the above title.
Double Choc’ Chunk Cookies, the best you’ll ever taste. Gooey and full of chunks of milk and white chocolate that are perfect any time.
Such an easy recipe, you wont want any other in your oven. Find the Top Ten Tips to making the perfect chocolate chip cookie too, on this page
Beef and broccoli marinated in soy sauce , an incredibly easy dish to make and even easier to eat. Using flank steak in this dish and cutting it against the grain means the meat is so tender.
Turkey Potato Roll - Sliced thinly and rolling them up gives the not so humble potato a make over. Crispy brown in the outside and filled with tasty turkey mince and cheese, this turkey potato roll is a great way to show off your cooking skills without having to spend too much time in the kitchen.
Reusable Beeswax Cotton Food Wraps - make your own , its easy and a great gift for you to give this Christmas. Hand made Christmas gifts are a perfect way to make someone smile. Using beeswax wraps to replace single use plastic is great for the environment and practical too.. Use them everyday instead of cling film or Baco foil wrap. Using beeswax pellets makes it even easier to make these yourself with out breaking the bank A great gift in a budget.
No Yeast Orange Raisin Cinnamon Buns with glaze. Why wait for all that rising, this recipe doesn’t use yeast so no need to wait to eat these fabulous baked buns. Using Greek yoghurt and self raising flour for the dough means that the rising is done in the oven. A crispy top with melted butter and cinnamon sugar makes these pull apart cinnamon buns perfect for Christmas..But don’t wait until the festive season to enjoy them, bake them all year for a delicious treat.
Conchita’s Chipotle Chocolate Christmas Shortbread , the perfect Christmas recipe for friends , family and for the Christmas table. Shortbread should be crisp and moreish, and this recipe is just that. Chilli and chocolate are flavours made in heaven, and using the slightly smoky Conchita’s Chipotle tips it over the edge.
Bacon, Pumpkin & Potato Soup with Garlic & Herb Croutons , perfect for this November weather and a way to use up any leftover pumpkin insides that you might have left over from all that pumpkin carving. This soup is quick, easy and super tasty
Ricotta, Mascarpone, Walnut & Honey Samosa the perfect light dessert for everyone. Replace the filling with Nutella, and you’ve got yourself another crowd pleasing dessert.
Folding a samosa the easy way , with pictures and description
Perfect for freezing too .
Chicken Soup & Bacon Tortilla Pie - A pie but not pie! A super easy pie using soft tortillas instead of pastry. This easy pie uses soft tortillas as the pastry and still tastes great. No need to spend ages making pastry , just use pantry ingredients to make this inexpensive, budget, low cost family pie that will make everyone in the family smile and say Yummmm!
Orange Chicken thighs, the easiest and tastiest recipe you’ll ever need. Succulent chicken thighs used in this recipe means that it retains its juiciness and is perfect to add to your family recipe book.
Lijena Pita od Jabuka i Oraha - (Lazy Apple & Walnut Pie), a Croatian base with a twist of Lee & The Sweet Life. Light crumbly pastry with a thick filling of apple and walnut made with love for a better pie. Croatian lazy pies are a must have in every Croatian family recipe book, this one is doubly special , with both apple and walnut, its moist and yummy. Not just any apple and walnut pie!
